Enclosed electric switch



May 17, 1938. H. E. SCI-ILEICHER ET AL 2,117,987

ENCLOSED ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed Dec. 14, 1935 2'Sheets-Sheet l INSULATION I INSULATION INVENTOR HAROLD E. SCHLEICHER INSULATION AND v MONROE GUETT -BY THEIR ATTORNEYS May 17, 1938. H. E. SCHLEICHER ET AL 2,117,987

ENCLOSED ELECTRIC SWITCH I Filed Dec. 14, 1935 2 Shets-Sheet. 2

INSULATION INVENTOR HAROLD E. SCHLEICHER AND MONROE GUETT I T2. BY THEIR ATTORNEYS Patented May 17, 1938 UNITED STATES ENCLOSED ELECTRIC SWITCH Harold E; Schleicher, Elmwood, and Monroe Guett, Hartford, Conn., assignors to The Arrow-Hart & Hegeman Electric Company, Hartford, Oonn., a corporation pf Connecticut Application December 14, 1935,, Serial No. 54,482 4 Claimsl (01. 200-162) This invention relates to electric switches.

More particularly it relates to enclosed electric switches of the type that is usable with a fuse block, although the invention is not limited to use in that connection.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved inexpensive dependable switch mechanism of the type that is usable with a fuse block within a housing. v V

Another object. of this invention is to provide an improved amembly of switch actuating member and movable contacts for use in an enclosed switch, which is dependable in operation and easy to assemble.

Another object of this invention is to provide means for interlocking and spacing the contact carriers and indexing cam upon a switch actuating member and at the same time make possible the assembly of the carriers and indexing cam I upon the operating member while the carriers and cam are engaged with the spacing means.

. Another object .of this invention is to provide an improved method of fixing the stationary contacts to the base of an electric switch of the above with the switch base removed to show the assembly of the movable contact carriers upon the operating member.

Figure 3 is, a longitudinal section view of the switch base and housing with the section taken along the lines 3 -3 of Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 is a transverse section view of the switch housing with the switch base removed, the section being taken along the'line 4-4 of Fi ure 2.

Figure 5 is a longitudinal section view of the switch base, the section being taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary detail view of the interior of the portion of the switch housing around the operating members bearing.

Figure "I is a detail view of a member used to hold the operating member in assembled position in the switch housing.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary detail view showing the operating member, indexing cam, and contact carrier, in assembly with the interlocking member and showing the relationcof this assembly to the bottom of the switch housing.

block I which preferably is made of insulating material, such as porcelain or a composition product, is secured to the rear wall I21 of a conventional switch box, which has parallel end walls I2a and I2c perpendicular to parallel side walls I2?) and lid. all of which are perpendicular to the rear wall I21. The'switch base IIi may be hollowed out in its rear face and may have a pair of fuse sockets I4 and I of the screw shell type mounted on its front face. The centralcontacts of the fuse receptacles may be bolts I6 and I1 respectively; which pass through the front face of the base and take into screw threaded apertures in terminal portions Illa and I9a of fixed contacts, of which the contact surfaces I80 and He respectively, project perpendicularly from the terminal portions. These terminal portions are in the shape of right angles with the legs 48b and I9b being directed inwardly so as to cause the contact portions 180 and I90 to lie along the innermost or neighboring walls of a pair of parallel spac'ed rectangular recesses 20 and 22 which are formed in the bottom of the switch base III to permit switch opening and closing movement of plate-like contact carriers 24 and 26 of sheet insulation and carrying movable bridging contacts" and 30 as hereinafter more particularly described.

which preferably are stamped from strips of sheet metal in the irregular form illustrated in Figure 1, so as to provide hook or anchoring portions 30a. and 32a at their ends which partially embrace the shanks of securing bolts 34 and 38. These bolts 34 and 36 have enlarged heads for engaging the side edges of the anchoring portions Silo and 32a and thereby secure the contacts fix edly in the position shown in Figure 1. In practice the roughness of the edges of the contacts provides suflicient friction when the edges are in contact with the bolt heads, to hold the contacts securely in their proper position. The securing bolts 34 and 36 may extend through the top. of the base and may take into screw threaded terminal plates 38 and 40 located on the top surface of the insulating ase Ill and the extending ends U-shaped metal stampings having contact sur faces lying on opposite sides of the sheet insulation contact carriers 24 and 26 so that upon movement of the carrier between the contact pairs I80, 30c and No, 320, the circuit may be made and broken by engagement of the movable contacts 28 and 30 with their respective pairs of stationary contacts. The contact carriers 24 and 26 may conveniently be of substantially segmental shape and provided with apertures having radial portions 241 which are intersected perpendicularly. at their lower ends by transverse portions 2415. The transverse portions 24t are provided in order that the contact carriers may be slidably mounted upon a combined operating and handle member for actuating the switch con-'v tacts. The actuating portion 46a of this switch operator extends transversely of the switch box and is pivotally supported in the side walls l2b. and i201 in a manner to be hereinafter more fully.

the spacing of i .e slots 20 and 22 of the insulat-- ing base Ill, The distance from the bottom of the notches 50m and 5011 to the opposite longitudinal edge of theinterlocking member 50 is equal to the length of the portion 241' of the aperture in the contact carrier 24 so that when the tacts toward open and closed position and at the rear wall of the switch box and when the switch same time to provide an indexing means to maintain thecontacts in these positions, a sheet metal cam member having an elongated aperture a for the accommodation of the actuating portion 46a of the switch operator may be provided in the form shown in Figure 8 and mounted upon theactuating portion 46a. This cam member may lie in'a plane parallel to and between the Planes of the contact carriers. Its size will be determined by the distance of the actuating portion 46a from the rear wall I21 of the switch; box. The cam member 60 is provided with two converging cam surfaces 60?) and 600 so that when the switch is in the off position as illustrated in Figures 3 and 8; the surface 60b will lie upon the is moved to the closed circuit position the cam surface 600 will lie upon the rear wall of the switch box. In moving between the open and closed circuit positions,- the peak of the cam member rubbing on the rear wall'l2r compels a slight bending 'of the actuating portion 46a of the switch operator and provides a controllable snap action of the contacts in moving from one position to another. I

A notch 50p is provided in the longitudinal edge of the interlocking member opposite to the edge in which the notches 50m and 5012 are located. This notch accommodates the cam member and maintains the cam member in fixed position on the actuating portion 46a of the operating member relatively to the contact carriers 24 and 26. The cam member may be engaged with the interlocking member 50' and slipped on to the actuating portion 46a. with the interlocking member and contact carriers.

The engagement of the contact carriers with the actuating portion 46a is a loose engagement so that the movable contacts are permitted to adjust themselves to slight variations in location of the .fixed contact pairs. Thus there is practically no axial stress tending to move the contact carriers and cam member along the actuating portion 46a and the friction between the cam member 60 and the bottom of the box is sufficient to maintain it and the contact assembly in its assembled position during the operation of the switch parts.

The actuating portion 46a of the switch operator is provided with a portion 46a of reduced width at its end which is supported in the side wall l2d, and a reduced portion 461' at the point of its support in the side wall l2b. A circular 3 aperture is provided in the wall l2d for the reduced end 46c. An aperture of irregular shape having a semi-circular bearing portion I2s is provided in the wall l2b of the switch box. This irregular aperture has an enlarged portion l2n of suflicient area to accommodate the full width of the switch operator and permit insertion of the operator during assembly of the switch. When assembled, the end 46c is in its bearing aperture in the wall l2ct and the reduced portion 48r is seated in the .semi-circularaperture l2s. In order to hold the switch operator in this position. a metallic holding plate 10 of the form,

shown in Figure 7 is secured to the outside, preferably, of the wall I 26. The holding plate I0 is provided with a semi-circular opening Ilia preferably in one edge in position to cooperate with the semi-circular portion l2s in the wall l2b of the switch box to form a circular bearing for the 1 reduced portion 461' of the switch operator. To secure the holding plate 10 in position, there is provided a U-shaped metallic securing member or guard 12 having on its parallel ends extending fingers 12e passing through recesses 10f formed in the side edges of the holding member 10 and also through apertures in the side wall l2b of the switch box in alignment with the recesses 101'. These extensions He may be bent to hold the guard 12 and holding plate 10 in their assembled position.

In assembling the switch, t e fixed contacts may be mounted 'upon the switch base In in the manner described and in the position shown in Figure 1, it being apparent that-the securing bolts 34 and 36 for the fixed contacts 300 and 320 may be manipulated from the rear of the switch base by reason of the fact that the underside of the heads of these bolts engage the edges of these contacts. 1 When the other fixed parts of the switch mechanism are mounted upon the base, it is then ready for assembly in the housing with the fnovable parts of the switch mechanism. In assembling the movable parts, the contact carriers 24 and 26 are engaged with the interlocking member 50 and the cam member 60 is also engaged with the interlocking member in the manner described and this cam and carrier assembly is then ready to be slid upon the switch From the foregoing it will be apparent that we have provided an enclosed switch device which is easily assembled and may be made from a few parts which are capable of manufacture mainly from sheet stock and therefore the mechanism may be simply and inexpensively made. It will also be apparent that we have provided a novel assembly of the movable contacts and a novel way of mounting the stationary switch contacts with the utmost facility. Many changes within the scope of the invention will occur to those skilled in the art, therefore, we do not limit the invention to the exact form of the parts as illustrated.

1. In combination, a switch box having means perpendicular to the back thereof for supporting a handle, a flat metal rod bent to form an actuating member and handle passing through apertures in said supporting means, said member being notched at its points of support, the apertures in said supporting means being formed to accommodate said notched portions of the handle member and one of said apertures having an enlarged portion capable of accommodating the full width of said handle member, a plate secured to one of said supporting means for retaining said handle member with its notched portion in the smaller part of said last-mentioned aperture, and

a U-shaped guard having fingers engaging with one of said supporting means and with said plate to hold the plate on said supporting means.

2. A switch assembly'comprising a base of insulating material, a contact carrier movable in a plane perpendicular to the face of the base, a movable contact carried by said carrier, a pair of stationary contacts having their contact faces lying in planes parallel to the plane of movement of said carrier, at least one .of said stationary contacts being free for substantial lateral movement with respect to said base in a plane normal to the contact face, and means engaging the side edge of one of said stationary contacts and holding it against said lateral movement and in position to be engaged by said movable contact.

3. A switch assembly comprising a base of insulating material, a contact carrier, a movable contact carried by said carrier, a pair of stationary contacts having their contact faces lying in planes parallel to the plane of movement of said carrier, at least one of said stationary contacts being free for substantial lateral-movement with respect to said base in a plane normal to the contact face, and a bolt having a head engaging the side edge of one of said stationary contacts and holding said stationary contact against said lateral movement and in position to be engaged by said movable contact.

4. A switch assembly comprising a base of insulating material, a contact carrier, a movable contact carried by said carrier, a pair of stationary contacts having their contact faces lying in planes parallel to the plane of movement of said carrier, at least one of said stationary contacts being free for substantial lateral movement with respect to said base in a plane normal to the contact face, and a bolt having a head engaging the side edge of one of said stationary contacts and holding said stationary contact against said lateral movement and in position to be engaged by said movable contact, said head being situated to enable manipulation from the rear of said base.

HAROLD E. SCHLEICHER. MONROE GUETT. 

